Expert: Silver - 9/22/2009

Question
which factor is protective to survival of most small mammals: diverse feeding patterns, loss of habitat, limited range, or low reproductive capacity?

if a wildlife manager had to increase the number of den sites for raccoons, what small mammal population would he encourage: squirrels, martens, beavers, or woodchucks?

how can the observation powers of the skillful field observer be enhanced: achieving proper rest and relaxation, using special drugs, practice, or using binoculars and night-vision equipment?

Answer
Drugs should NEVER be used to enhance the observation of animals in their habitat! Judgment and perception would be altered therefore rendering the observation invalid! Night-vision gear only works for nocturnal animals, rest and relaxation always improves an observers ability to do detailed studies. Binoculars over us the ability to observe without interfering with natural behavior. Practice...as they say, also makes perfect so the more skilled you are through experience the better observer you will be.

Wildlife managers would have to decide for what reason as well as the overall impact of the changes in the animals occupying den sites on other naturally occurring wildlife as well as their habitat and their surrounding humans cohabitants. The animal he would choose would need to be one that created a suitable habitat for raccoons and then moved on... certainly not squirrels (too small) not Beavers since they are semi-aquatic. Martens share the fact that they often use trees for den sites but to drive out the Martens would be a shame since they are not as common and face a more limited future, existence-wise, to the more common raccoons. Woodchucks are burrowers and often offer a much better protected den, and larger than the others.. especially in cold climates.

Loss of habitat affects all animals, limited range only affects animals who forage in large areas and diverse feeding patterns can be affected by weather and surroundings such as species  incursion or of humans moving into, and altering their natural diet (ducks should NOT eat bread, squirrels should not eat salty peanuts, Bears and raccoons should not eat human garbage etc.) and destroying their natural habitat. Low reproductive capacity... that depends on the availability of food and reproductive and survival habitats of the species in question (have a lot of young and not enough food = failure, too many territorial animals = failure, too few of a species to deter predators (the zebra stripes concept) = failure), their range and ability to co-habitat without dominating members of their own kind limiting how many animals live in one area (as with male squirrels who are territorial). Diversity allows for adaptability in my book.

Is this part of a classroom project or question for a test??? I hope not... 'my bad' if so and I answered. If not, I hope I helped some.

I do not believe that unless there is an extreme circumstance human beings should be trying to put in balance numbers and species of animals. If we created the imbalance we should correct it but all too often people interfere and as they say, 'You should never fool with Mother Nature' lol

Take Care

Silver